2013 African U-20 Championship: Young Pharaohs Preview

Egypt U-20 coach Rabie Yassin named his 21-man squad last week for the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations that kicks-off in Algeria on March 16. The Young Pharaohs are likely to be one of the most experienced sides in the tournament with the likes of Saleh Gomaa, Rami Rabia and Ahmed Hassan ‘Koka’, who are all regulars with their respective clubs and already senior Egypt internationals under Bob Bradley.

The list only includes two European-based Pharaohs in PSV Eindhoven’s Amir Adel (known as Alexander Jakobsen in Europe) and Koka, who coach Yassin confirms will only be available for the first two matches against Ghana and Algeria before returning to Rio Ave in Portugal. However, some highly rated European-based Pharaohs were left out of the squad for various reasons including Paris Saint-Germain and former France U-17 star Abdallah Yaisien and Hoffenheim’s Rhami-Jasin Ghandour, who previously captained Germany’s U-16 national team.

Players

The near two-metre tall striker Ahmed Hassan, who turned 20 last week, has been a revelation in Rio Ave’s attack since making his senior debut late in the season, scoring seven goals in his last nine games in all Portuguese competitions. Although the recent Egypt international will only be allowed to feature for the first two games, with Rio Ave naturally reluctant to release him for the African Youth Championship, Egypt will be looking towards Koka to reproduce his club form to help guide the Young Pharaohs past the ‘group of death’ and into the semi-finals; as a result, qualifying for the U-20 World Cup in Turkey this summer.

One of the main talents Egyptians will be excited to finally watch represent the Pharaohs at the tournament is Egyptian-Danish attacking midfielder Amir Adel, 18, better known as Alexander Jakobsen. The PSV youth star, who can also play as a winger on either flank, was labelled ‘Denmark’s Ronaldinho’ as a youngster. The Denmark-born trickster started his career at FC Copenhagen, where he scored 27 goals and assisted 41 in 37 games during the 2008-09 season.

Amir, son of former Al-Ahly and Egypt national team player Adel Ahmed told Al-Ahram on Wednesday: “I was offered spots in the Danish and the Dutch national teams earlier but I preferred to play with Egypt.”

Al-Ahly’s versatile defender Rami Rabia is also likely to feature in the talented Egyptian midfield, after recently thriving as a defensive midfielder for Al-Ahly since captain Hossam Ghaly picked up an ACL injury during the Club World Cup in Japan. Rabia has scored three goals in his last four games in all competitions for both club and country including the only goal for Bob Bradley’s Egypt in last week’s 3-1 friendly loss in Qatar, where he played at right-back, and also against Group A leaders ENPPI in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday.

Coach

Coach Rabie Yassin said he started preparations for the competition four years ago and his team is determined to qualify for the World Cup in Turkey, but realizes it will be a tough task to reach the semi-finals.

“It will be really tough to meet three powerful opponents in the ‘group of death’ – hosts Algeria, three-time winner Ghana and former winner Benin who eliminated a strong Ghana side in the qualifiers,” Yassin told Al-Ahram on Wednesday.

“We won the trophy twice [1991 and 2003] and we will not be easy prey for our rivals despite our current difficult circumstances,” he added.

“I watched over 800 players. The squad cannot be better. We will depend on one striker, Omar Bassam of Ahly and support from good attacking midfielders Ahmed Samir (Dakhleya), Ahmed Refaat (ENPPI), Amir Adel and Saleh Gomaa,” Yassin said.

Abdallah Yaisien’s agent tells us his Egyptian passport was ready (to complete the nationality switch) but he had to skip the tournament with a slight injury, and would rather have treatment at PSG. Although a source close to coach Rabie Yassin tells us this excuse is false. Rhami’s nationality switch hasn’t been completed, his father tells us this is partly the Egyptian FA’s fault.

Abdallah Yaisien!! Am so shocked! The reason we are sad isn’t that he will play for France. We are sad because he came to Egypt and we felt an Egyptian decent player in him. I remember his interview in Cairo, he reminded me of Mohamed Abou Treka!
Why did he come in the first place? We thought he chose his blood.

And about Ramy Ghandour his father is a very patriotic Egyptian and he insists that Ramy will play for the Pharaohs..but again paper work delayed his participation. Ramy has an excuse, Abdallah hasn’t!